CLMP’s community of independent literary publishers believes that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree to 1) conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical behavior on the part of our readers, judges, or editors; 2) to provide clear and specific contest guidelines — defining conflict of interest for all parties involved; and 3) to make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public. This Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that each model can be run ethically. We have adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests contribute to a vibrant literary heritage.

Black Warrior Review Annual Contest Selection Process & Guidelines

1st Round of Judging: Non-Blind Read by Genre Editor and Editor. Finalists (approximately 10 poems, 10 pieces of fiction/prose, and 10 pieces of nonfiction) will then be forwarded to the contest judges for the 2nd Round of Judging.

Conflicts of Interest: Similar to our regular editorial policy, students, faculty, staff, and administrators currently affiliated with the University of Alabama are ineligible for consideration or publication. Additionally, intimate friends, relatives, colleagues, and former or current students of a judge are ineligible to enter in that category. Previous winners of our contest should wait three years after their winning entry was published before entering again.